The 2011 Promise Land 50K will forever be
a special race for me. My boyfriend Brenton was driving up from Florida
with a few of his good friends to run the race. The night before was cool
and rainy and I waited impatiently for their arrival while helping with
the check in. When their car finally arrived I was so excited to see
Brenton come in that I attacked him with a big hug. He seemed distracted
and told me his stomach didn’t feel quite right. I asked him why and he
responded with “Because my girlfriends going to beat me in a race
tomorrow.”

I met Brenton Swyers in the running class
fall semester in 2009, however we didn’t really begin talking until the
spring semester. We began training together and running together and it
was around the time of the 2010 Promise Land 50K that we were officially
dating. Last year we were both pretty well trained and not hurting so we
ran relatively hard for being new on the ultrarunning scene. This year
would be different. Brenton graduated in the winter and moved back to
flat and hot Florida, where a job and internship gave him limited training
time. While he was running fast, it was all on flat roads. I have been
dealing with ITB syndrome and the pain in my knee stopped my training
completely. After Terrapin I barely ran at all and have been doing nearly
all of my training on a bike and in the pool. We already decided to run
together and just take it easy.

Dr. Horton started the pre-race briefing
at precisely 7:10 p.m. Everyone huddled under the pavilion to listen to
Dr. Horton discuss the “serious stuff” about checking in again in the
morning, notifying the aid station workers if you drop out and getting
lost. (Of course, if you get lost, you’re “STUPID” according to Dr.
Horton.) He called my name and asked me to come up to the front. This
was no surprise. Every race he brings me in front of the runners and
announces that I am his teachers’ assistant and that I make all the
mistakes. I don’t mind, it’s become a “running” joke (pun intended). I
started to turn to go back to my seat but Dr. Horton stopped me. “Wait!”
He yelled. “This is for you.” He handed me a small package. I opened it
and saw a green shirt. I thought it was another one of his shirts he
gives out, but I was confused that it wasn’t technical. Then I saw the
words “Jamie, Will you marry me?” on the front. I didn’t understand what
was happening until I turned and saw Brenton on one knee in front of me
with the most gorgeous ring I have ever seen. My jaw dropped. I
couldn’t think to say yes for the longest time. When I finally came to
my senses and did, everything was a blur around me. People were clapping
and cheering and taking pictures. Brenton opened his jacket and he had a
matching green shirt that said ‘She said YES!” I couldn’t stop smiling
and shaking.

Of course, I barely slept at all in a wet
tent with two of my Liberty friends. Instead we talked and giggled and
stayed up almost all night like we were in middle school. The morning (or
night, however you refer to 4 a.m.) was there before we knew it and we ate
breakfast and got ready for the race. I don’t know what kind of stupidity
got into me but something changed in my mindset that morning. I don’t
know if it was the happiness of being engaged, the atmosphere of the
race, the adrenaline of the previous night or possibly the memories of my
first ultra, but I wanted to race. I knew I wasn’t ready and that I
wasn’t trained at all. But I thought, “Maybe I can make this the perfect
weekend….” I told Brenton this at mile 2. Or something along the lines
of “help me make top 5 women” and his response was “Oh great, I knew this
would happen.”

Brenton ran with me the whole time and
somewhere on the trail he got into it too. He wasn’t racing but he was
helping me race. His pace down the hills was much faster than what I was
used to and he left me and that pushed me to fly down. (Then he would
wait for me at the bottom) We stayed pretty steady and consistent. I had
a low at the same spot as last year. It was between aid station 5 and 6.
This time however, I had Brenton to push me through it. I started going
up Apple Orchard Falls I got a second wind like last year. Brenton told
me to go on and I did, but only because I knew three things. I knew he
would immediately catch me on the downhill, I knew I was 5th
woman and finally, I knew the 6th woman was only minutes
behind. On a long switch back I saw Brenton and he motioned behind him
and then made a gesture for me to GO! I knew he had seen a woman behind.

When I left Sunset Fields I didn’t have
much motivation. I was very slow and when I turned to go down the long
decent in my head I almost gave up. I was tired and my legs felt heavy.
It was only a moment after I told myself to just head to the finish at a
slow and easy pace that I saw Brenton coming behind me. “She’s not far
back, we need to go.” He took the lead and we headed down the hill. The
single-track trail was fun but roads and I don’t get along. Brenton had
to really push me. I wanted to cry most of the way, but he encouraged me
that the finish was near.

We finally made the turn and saw the
finish line. I saw that we were going to run in right around 6:30, which
was only 7 minutes slower than last year’s time. I saw Dr. Horton yelling
and cheering like usual. He said to Brenton “5th woman!” (What
a joker…) And gave us the famous Horton hugs. I was happy to have given
it all I had and to have the opportunity to run it with my fiancée. (!!!)

I couldn’t have had a better weekend.
It was my last race as a Liberty student, my last race I helped with as
Dr. Horton’s assistant, and the year after my first ultra. Now Promise
Land has even more meaning to me, as it was my first race as an engaged
woman! I definitely will never forget the 2011 Promise Land 50K.